Hazard mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from natural hazards and their effects. Merely repairing at-risk facilities to their pre-disaster condition does not protect the community from future disaster damages or reduce long-term costs.

Mitigation improvements should always be considered in the rebuilding process. FEMA has the authority to provide Public Assistance funding for cost-effective hazard mitigation measures for facilities damaged by an incident.*

*Robert T. Stafford Act 406(e), 42 U.S.C. 5172 (e), and 44 C.F.R. 206.226(e).

Section 404 assists in implementing long-term hazard mitigation planning and projects following a Presidential major disaster declaration. It provides funds to States, Territories, Tribes, and local communities to protect public or private property through various mitigation measures.

For more details, read FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance or visit the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance page.

Applicants may use both 406 and 404 mitigation funds to implement mitigation measures on the same facility, but not for the same work. Funds from one of these mitigation programs also cannot be used to meet the non-Federal cost share of work funded under the other mitigation program.

A combination of Sections 404 and 406 funding may be appropriate where:

• Section 406 hazard mitigation funding is used to provide protection to the parts of the facility that were damaged by the event
• Section 404 hazard mitigation funding is used to provide protection to the undamaged parts of the facility

A FEMA Site Inspector determined that a 3-mile section of a 10-mile long storm water pipe was damaged during a Presidentially declared disaster.

Repair and mitigation of the 3 miles of damaged pipe would be eligible for Public Assistance funding and Section 406 Hazard Mitigation funding.

These damages and the mitigation proposal for the 3 miles of pipe would be documented in the Public Assistance Grants Portal. The Applicant can begin work on the repair and mitigation of the 3 miles of pipe before the project is approved.

The additional 7 miles of undamaged (or undamaged by the declared event) may be eligible for Section 404 Hazard Mitigation funding.

The Applicant would have to follow the State's application process for these funds and can only begin mitigation of the 7 miles of undamaged pipe once the application is approved.

Hazard mitigation can only be applied to permanent work. Some examples of common hazard mitigation measures include:

• Increasing the number or size of drainage structures to prevent roadway destruction and washout
• Adding wing walls, riprap, stone, gabion baskets (wire mesh filled with stone), or bioengineering to control erosion
• Elevating facilities above the flood elevation
• Securing equipment with hurricane straps
• Elevating electrical transformers to avoid utility damage

Elevate or dry flood-proof components or systems vulnerable to flood damage, including:

• Equipment controls
• Electrical panels
• Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning/machinery rooms
• Emergency generators
• Fuel tanks

When wiring cannot be elevated, replace with equipment suitable for submerged applications.

Bridges vulnerable to flood damage can sometimes be replaced with low-water crossings if traffic counts are low. As the term suggests, low-water crossings are dry when water levels are low but likely to submerge during floods, becoming unsafe for traffic.

Hurricane winds and wind-blown debris can cause significant damage to structures. If windows are broken in high winds, the building's contents become vulnerable to damage.

Storm shutters are one of the most common methods of protection against damage from high winds. They are fastened over windows or other vulnerable openings to protect them and can be made from materials such as corrugated metal, plastic, wood or plywood, and polycarbonates.